Cableway



y 1931. L. s. THORNESS 1,807,229

CABLEWAY Filed Nov. 11. 1 29 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1931.

L. s. THORNESS CABLEWAY F iled Nov, 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AttorneyPatented May 26, 1931 UNIT-En STATES PATENT 0mm:

LOUIIlS S. THORNESS, OF BENTON, -WASHINGTON CABLEWAY ApplicationfiledNovember 11, 1929. Serial No. 406,178.

My invention-relatesto overhead cableways and consists -of animprovement in pendent supportssustained on uprightstandardsintermediate the head and tail end standards'supporting thecarrying cable of the cableway. .It' is more particularly designed forapplication to cableways con structed for logging operations where thestrain onthe carryingcable is greatly varied '10 by the dilferentweights of the loads carried thereon, although it is equally usefulemployed in other cableways where the loads carried are more uniform. Myinvention is also designed'to-take a side strain aswell as '15 avertical strain and thus pull logs from either side of the cablewaybefore lifting them to be carried'to landing place at the head end ofthe cableway.

The object of' my invention is to provide an '20 intermediate supportand carriage whereby by the heavy the loadtraveling on'the cableway'maybe carriedon and over the-intermediate support with ease, though-theremay be some slack or droop in the carrying cable caused strain thereon.By means of my improvementit-is possible-to greatly extend the length ofa cableway without increasing the size of the carrying cable.

a My invention comprises certain improve- '30 ments of constructionwhich will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims.In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in the forms-ofconstruction which are now most preferred by me and show the noveltyofthe operative parts.

Figure 1 is a partial side View of a cableway in miniature showing threeintermediate standards with my improvements applied thereon; Fig.2 isa-fron't side view of my improved support with the carriage at the pointof going onto'and over-the support; ig. 3 is'an endviewof Fig. 2; Fig.4; is an enlarged end view of the supporting sheave, and Fig. 5'is'aside'view of'the same;-Fig. 6 is'a vertical cross section of thecarrying cable and the supporting member on the line 66 of Fig. 7 withan end view of the carriage sheave; Fig. 7 is a front side view of thatpartof the support at the left of line-66;

drawings.

be supported between in such a waythat it can be'd fig. '8 is-anenlarged cross section 'of the cable supporting-member at line 88 ofFig. 7 showing the thin metal strip designed to hold the 'carrying cablefixedin the saddle thereon; "Fig. 9is an enlarged side view o f thetraveling carriage on which-the load is to be suspended; Fig. 10isan-endview of Fig. 9; Fig. '11 is a vertical section on the line 1111 ofFig. 9; Fig. 12 is'ahorizontal cross section on the line'12'12' of-Fig."9 l0okmg down; Fig. '13 is a horizontal 'cro'ss'se'ction on-the line1313 of Fig. 9 looking down ;and Fig. 14 is 'apartial'si'de view of alog and the means'of suspension ina horizontal position from thecarriage.

Like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts in each of thefigures on the In logging operations, particularly-in the 7 NorthwesternStates, temporary cableways are constructed to pull out the logs andearrthem to a landing place for loading ontrai way'cars or otherconveyances-Tlhc standards for these cableways are;provided by selectingtrees o'fsuitablestrength and,fafteitrimming and topping them, to"attach the log carrying cableway supports thereto. T By selecting treesthat'are in line, a cab-leway can be constructed any length desired-forpractical operation. Where trees cannot'be selected in alineme lt, twotrees can beselected near each other, each being on opposite sides ofthecableway; and the carrying cable them.

In the logging industry there is a great difi'eren'ce in the weight ofthe logs'to be carried. In carrying logs that weigh several tons, moreor less difliculty is experienced in pulling the log carryingcarriageover the provide an intermediate support that undulates oryields to the approaching carriage rawn'over the support withoutundue-strainon the pulling line. in!

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 inclicates a part of a logging cablewaysupported on some of the intermediate standards 1-1 and a log 2 beingcarried thereon. The head and tail end supports and the operative powermachinery are not shown. They are so well known and understood that anexhibit of them is not required.

My newly improved support is shown suspended from a bracket 3 fixed onone of the intermediate standards 1. This or any other means forsuspending the support may be of size and form to meet the strainthereon and to allow the load 2 to pass clear of the standard 1. i

- My invention comprises a steel or iron rail 4 of proper strength andofsuitable length and so formed as to curve downward in the middle andateach end as shown in Fig. 2. The rail shown is madeofan inverted T-barwith a coved saddle seat 5 brazed on its upper edge as more-clearlyshown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. This rail may be made of any other stockmaterial, such as angle iron or of rail way rails withthe cove saddlemilled in the head of the rail. 7. This curved rail is supported at thetwo high points 6-6 by one sided link-like stirrups 77, the lower endsbeing pivotally'fixed into sockets brazed on the under side of the railand the upper ends attached to the opposite ends of a short wire .ropesling 9 which is carried on the sheave 10 suspended from the bracket 3.The carryingcable 11 rests in the cove saddle 5 and is held in place bya thin metal strap 12 bolted or brazed to the rail 4. This strap issufficiently loose to allow the carrying cable 11 to slip to the rightor left as may be caused by thestr'ain thereon. These straps are at thesummit of therail curves where the cable 11 will be constantly resting.in the cove saddle '5.

ously mentioned but not shown.

in a loadingbar v The load carrylng. carriage is more of a suggestionthan a fixed form of construction. The two carrying sheaves 8-8 are tobe spaced apart to correspond with the length of. the rail 4. Thesheaves indicated are designed to vbe mounted in boiler iron hangers 13of sufficient strengthand properly reinforced. to resist the strainthereon; The

hangers are curved. outwardly as shown in Figs. 3 and lOto pass clear ofthe rail '4.

They are fixed together by horizontalbars 14 These bars made .of thesame material. have extending ends spread apart to enclose Over thesesheaves are 16-16 operated from. the power machinery previ- V The linespass under and around the sheaves 17 -17 18,-constructed similarly tobar 14, andhave their stable ends fixed at the points 16a. The sheaves17 are provided with ajclevis 19 designed to receive or attach the lines20-20 by which the log or load is ing the landing place the bar 18 isagain lifted clear of the hooks'21 which are a ain pulled aside and thebar and its load is Towered to the ground.

By using the mechanism herein shown and described, it is possible topass the loaded carriage onto andover an intermediate cableway supportwith comparative ease. I Asthe car riage approaches myimproved support,it is obvious that the near end of the rail'.4 will be. drawn to inclinedownward to meet the incline of the loaded cableway while the tautnesson the opposite end will hold the rail 4 from inclining too abruptly.The first sheave 8 will roll onto the rail support with ease and afterpassing the first summit of the support, will roll onto the downwardincline of the center and thus impart an upward lift to the cable andcause the second sheave to pass onto supporting rail with less strainthan if the rail 4 did not have the downward bend at its center. Inpassing oifthe support the action will be reversed with the load movingunder perfect control. v

It appears evident that the movement described will not be limited .tothe form of carriage'shown, but willoperate equally as eifective withanyother form of carriage in which the sheaves are spaced to comply withthe length of the rail 4.

It is to be observed that the wire rope sling v9 suspended on the sheave10 allows the rail 4 to undulate more effectively than if hung to afixed pivot. It is to be further observed that the supporting bolt ofthe sheave 10 has a semicylindrical head which will let the sheaveswingto either side when pulling logs from either side of the cableway to beloaded thereon. i j L v I am aware that other forms of intermediatecableway supports have been devisedand used, but none to'my knowledgehave a rope sling support and a curvedrail support with two summits.

My invention is not limited to logging operations, but is applicable toany cableway where either varied or uniform loads are carried. It is tobe noted that my invention can be largely made of. stock materials andcan be constructed at a minimum expense. It can be taken apart fortaking down and 'setting'up in new fields as is required. in the loggingindustry. 1

Having described my invention, what I claimis: xi 1. In combination,acableWay,-an intermediate supporting standard for said cableway, andmeans for suspending said cableway from said standard, said meanscomprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, and acable carrying rail attached to said sling.

2. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard forsaid cable- Way, means for suspending said cableway from said standard,said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on saidsheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, and said carryingrail so formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end.

3. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard forsaid cableway, means for suspending said cableway from said standard,said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on saidsheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying railso formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and a covesaddle in the top of said rail for the carrying cable of said cablewayand means for holding said carrying cable within said saddle at rail.

4. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard forsaid cableway, means for supporting said cableway from said standard,said means comprising a suspended sheave, a triangular sling on saidsheave, a cable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying railso formed as to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and saidsling attached to said rail at the two upper curves of said rail toallow an undulating movement thereof.

5. In combination, a cableway, an intermediate supporting standard forsaid cableway, means for supporting said" cableway from said standard,said means comprising a sheave, a triangular sling on said sheave, acable carrying rail attached to said sling, said carrying rail so formedas to curve downward at its middle and at each end, and said cablewayhaving load carrying sheaves mounted thereon, and said sheaves so spacedand fixed apart as to be most easily operated onto and over saidsuspended cableway support.

LOUIS S. THORNESS.

the upper curves of said carrying-

